Obama And Romney Campaigns Launch New Websites For Presidential Debate

the nation will get the chance to see President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney debate for the first time tonight.

The nationally televised 90-minute debate is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. PDT. All the major networks are broadcasting the live debate hosted at the University of Denver.

Wednesday's format will see PBS newsman Jim Lehrer moderate. He is slated to open each 15-minute segment with a question, and Obama and Romney each will have two minutes to answer. It will be Lehrer’s job to keep the conversation going and to intervene if one candidate goes on too long.

In preparation for tonight’s event, the two campaigns on Wednesday announced new websites today — http://debates.mittromney.com and http://barackobama.com/debate.

Tonight’s debate marks the first in a series scheduled this month. Romney and Obama will debate again Oct. 16 in Hempstead, N.Y., and Oct. 22 in Boca Raton, Fla. Vice President Joe Biden and nominee Paul Ryan have their lone debate on Oct. 11 in Danville, Ky.

Click here to read what local Patch readers have to say about the debates.

Fifty-two million people tuned in to the first scheduled presidential debate four years ago, with 80 percent of the nation's adults saying they watched at least a bit of the debates, The Associated Press reported.